BIG SAM for England? More like Allardyce for Andorra on this evidence.

But wherever he ends up, it is not easy to see a way back, even for one of the most self-assured men in football, at St James’s Park.

Not after the evidence that he has lost both his fans and his players coincided so completely – and embarrassingly – yesterday.

On paper, Shay Given and Fernando Torres spared Newcastle the ignominy of a rout.

Given’s defiance and the Spaniard’s sloppiness – he could (should) have scored five himself – lent this result a sheen of semi-respectability.

But there was no fooling the fans who saw Liverpool dismantle Allardyce’s latest best-laid plans with farcical ease.

Farcical, because if you didn’t laugh, you would have cried.

Accordingly, the game ended with Gallowgate in the grip of gallows humour.

And every joke was on Allardyce. The nation may have looked and listened to United’s faithful turn on yet another manager and mocked their impatience; their knee-jerk reaction; their false expectations.

Fact is, the vast majority of those fans recognise the need for continuity, a long-term plan and measured progress.

Trouble is, there was again no sign of any decent plan or of any progress yesterday.

And the only continuity Newcastle look like achieving, with Blackburn and Arsenal on the horizon, is in a losing streak.

Indeed, Allardyce’s players appear to be regressing: regressing to childhood days spent chasing the ball with no system, shape or shred of tactical awareness.

This, then, was men against boys.

This was a shambles.

For Big Sam, despite the enduring support of his chairman, will this come to be regarded as the beginning of the end?

For weeks, supporters’ appreciation that their manager needs time has held back a mounting wave of concern at United’s performances.

But yesterday, the dam burst.

It was under pressure from kick-off, as a makeshift rearguard struggled to grasp whether they were a back four or a back three.

So deep, in fact, that when United did get hold of the ball, Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka were hopelessly isolated.

For Gerrard, against whom the home crowd had an axe to grind after events in midweek, it was grist to his mill.

Having failed to get up in support of Peter Crouch for England, the midfielder set up base camp in Newcastle’s third of the field.

And he had already forced Given into serious action – beating away a long-range sidewinder – before beating the Irishman after 28 minutes.

With Torres having benefited from a dubious refereeing decision to win a foul 25 yards out, Gerrard made the most of Given’s decision to stray from his line for the free kick.

But there was no denying the quality of the strike which beat the keeper high to his right.

Suddenly, Newcastle’s supposed 3-5-2 became a supposed 4-4-2.

Either way, with them desperately lacking attacking width, the first rumblings of discontent became audible.

The calls for James Milner to come off the bench might have died in Geordie throats had Alan Smith’s volley – teed up by Viduka’s nod-down – flashed the right side of Jose Reina’s right-hand post.

But boos were guaranteed at half-time after the suicidal defending which saw Torres gifted two glorious chances within the blink of an eye.

If there was a debate over whether Given – 25 yards from his goal – blocked the striker’s first shot with his arm, Torres should certainly have done better than hit a post rather than an empty net with his second.

Yet if that was a let-off, Newcastle emerged for the second half in no fit state to take advantage.

Less than a minute after the restart, Gerrard’s left-wing corner was flicked on by Sami Hyypia and turned home – perhaps unknowingly – by a hopelessly unmarked Dirk Kuyt.

Allardyce reacted by raising hackles further by sacrificing the busy Emre for Joey Barton, then – worse still – brought on the popular Milner for the almost-as-popular Charles N’Zogbia. Newcastle’s powder-puff attempts at a revival only landed the manager further in it.

Liverpool? They looked like a bouncer apologetically fending off a drunk punter half his size.

Gerrard displayed a killer instinct – it was his surging run and glorious exchange of passes with Ryan Babel which set up the substitute’s 66th-minute goal.

But Torres, good Catholic that he is, clearly has a problem with euthanasia.

Having shot wide of the right-hand post with only Given to beat, he then lost out to the keeper in a one-on-one before firing past the other upright.

Babel volleyed across the face of goal. Kuyt gave Given a backpass when clean through.

The away end – with all too much support from the natives – mocked Allardyce.

Reina was finally extended late on by Viduka, but the Aussie was offside anyway.

“We’ve Only Had One Shot” sang the Gallowgate End, seconds before wry smiles were turned back to frowns by the lunatic decision to announce a Newcastle “man of the match”.

It remains to be seen whether Mike Ashley senses the way the wind is blowing on the Tyne better than the PA announcer.